What’s better than visiting museums in Los Angeles and Orange County than visiting them when they are FREE. That’s right, about once a month or so most museums have a day that is FREE to the public (some museums are FREE all the time). See our list below of museums in LA and Orange Counties for information on when/how they are FREE.
Annenberg Space for Photography
2000 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, CA 90067
Always Free
The Arboretum
301 North Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, CA, 91007
Free on the third Tuesday of the month (no tram on these days.)
Autry Museum of the American West
4700 Western Heritage Way, Griffith Park, CA
Free 2nd Tuesday of each month or free the first full weekend of the month when you show your bank of America card
Bowers Museum
1802 N. Main Street, Santa Ana, CA 92706
Free 1st Free Sunday of the month
The Broad
221 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Always Free (Reserve tickets in advance to avoid the standby line).
California African American Museum
600 State Drive, Exposition Park, Los Angeles, CA
Always Free
California Science Center
700 Exposition Park Drive, Los Angeles, CA
Always Free (Donations encouraged)
Children's Museum at La Habra
301 South Euclid Street, La Habra, CA 90631
Free admission on one designated Sunday of each month (visit website for details) - limited number of hand stamps given for two time slots
Descanso Gardens
1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011
Free on the 3rd Tuesday of the month (in the past advanced tickets were required on these free days. However, currently they are not so you can just walk in on the free Tuesday. I recommend you check this page prior to visiting to know if you need advanced tickets or not)
Discovery Cube Orange County
2500 N. Main Street, Santa Ana, CA 92705
Bank of America cardholders receive free admission on the Sunday of the first full weekend of each month
Santa Ana residents receive up to 4 free admissions per address with valid ID (proof of residency) on the 1st Tuesday of every month
Forest Lawn Museum
1712 S Glendale Ave, Glendale, CA 91205
Always Free
Fowler Museum at UCLA
308 Charles E Young Dr N, Los Angeles, CA 90024
Always Free
Fullerton Arboretum
1900 Associated Road, Fullerton, Orange County, 92831
Always Free
The Getty Center
17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades, CA
Always Free
Getty Villa
17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades, CA
Always free, timed ticket required
Griffith Observatory
2800 East Observatory Road, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Always free
Hammer Museum
10899 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA
Always free
Heritage Museum of Orange County
3101 West Harvard Street, Santa Ana, CA 92704
1st Sunday of the month, free admission and tour for Santa Ana Residents ONLY
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108
Free the 1st Thursday of every month. Advance tickets are required and can be obtained the month prior to visit. Check here for tickets
The Irvine Museum
18881 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 100, Irvine, CA 92612
Always free
Japanese American National Museum
100 North Central Avenue, Los Angeles CA
Free every Thursday from 5 PM to 8 PM
Free every third Thursday of the month (all day)
Kidseum
1802 N. Main Street, Santa Ana, CA 92706
Free every Sunday of the month for Santa Ana residents
Kidspace Children’s Museum
480 N. Arroyo Blvd. Pasadena, CA
Free 1st Tuesday of each month from 4pm-8pm
LA Brea Tar Pits
5801 Wilshire Blvd., Miracle Mile, CA
Free 1st Tuesday of each month (except July and August) - recommended that you reserve tickets in advance on these free days to avoid the line
Free every Tuesday in September
La Plaza de Cultura y Artes
501 North Main Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Always Free
Long Beach Firefighters Museum
1445 Peterson Ave., Long Beach CA. 90813
Free tours, must call for an appointment
Long Beach Museum of Art
2300 East Ocean Boulevard, Long Beach, CA 90803
Free admission every Friday.
Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanical Garden
301 North Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, CA
Free 3rd Tuesday of the month (no tram on these days)
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
5905 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles, CA
LA County residents receive free admission after 3 PM every weekday LACMA is open
Children 17 and under are always free
The Los Angeles Fire Department Museum
639 S. Harbor Blvd, San Pedro, CA 90731
Always free. Only open Saturday 10 AM to 3 PM
Los Angeles Maritime Museum
600 Sampson Way, San Pedro, CA 90731
Always free
Museums of Contemporary Art (MOCA)
250 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA
Free Thursday from 5 PM to 8 PM
Museum of Latin American Art
628 Alamitos Avenue, Long Beach, CA
Free every Sunday
Free the fourth Friday of every month from 5 PM - 9 PM
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles
900 Exposition Blvd., Exposition Park, CA
Free 1st Tuesday of each month (except July and August) - recommended that you reserve tickets in advance on these free days to avoid the line
Free every Tuesday in September
Norton Simon Museum
411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA
Everyone under 18 years old is free
Old Orange County Courthouse
211 W. Santa Ana Blvd., Santa Ana, CA 92701
Always free
Orange County Museum of Art
850 San Clemente Drive, Newport Beach, California 92660
Fridays are free from 11 am to 8 pm
Pasadena Museum of California Art
490 East Union Street, Pasadena, CA 91101
Free admission 1st Fridays (12–5pm) and 3rd Thursdays (5–8pm) of every month
Petersen Automotive Museum
6060 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Always free for active duty military
Pomona College Museum of Art
330 N. College Ave., Claremont, CA 91711
Always free
Rancho Los Alamitos Ranch and Gardens
6400 Bixby Hill Road, Long Beach, CA
Always Free
Rancho Los Cerritos Museum and Library
4600 Virginia Road, Long Beach, CA 90807
Always Free
The Skirball/Noah’s Ark
2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., West LA, CA
Free every Thursday (first come, first served basis until Noah’s Ark tickets are gone)
South Coast Botanic Garden
26300 Crenshaw Boulevard, Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA 90274
Free the 3rd Tuesday of each month.
Travel Town Museum
5200 Zoo Dr., Los Angeles, CA
Always Free
Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum
15415 East Don Julian Road, City of Industry, CA
Always Free
University Art Museum at CSULB
1250 Bellflower Boulevard, Long Beach, CA 90840
Free everyday it is open (will reopen September of 2017)
Zimmer Children’s Museum
6505 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA
Free for grandparents on Thursdays when accompanied by a grandchild
Always free for EBT cardholders (card must be presented) and military families (ID must be presented)
REMINDER: PLEASE CONFIRM WITH THE MUSEUM OR AT THE MUSEUM'S WEBSITE AS THEY MAY CHANGE OR END THEIR FREE DAYS AT ANY TIME!
